Trivia Tidbit Of The Day: Part 34 -- Russia's Economy.

They once ruled half the world, but, although Russia's economy has grown 6.5% per year since 1998, it is still only slightly larger than that of Los Angeles County:

By most indicators, Russia is now a Third World country, yet it is second only to the U.S. in its number of billionaires.

With the end of the Cold War, Russia lost half its industrial output. Each year, Russia's population declines by a stunning one million people. At this rate, by 2050 its population will have shrunk by a third. Male life expectancy is 58 and falling (it's 75 in the U.S.). One cause, according to a parliamentary report, is "stress generated by people's lack of confidence in their futures and those of their children." Another is alcoholism. The suicide rate between 1995 and 2000 was quadruple that of Europe. A sodden, depressed Russia can only be further eclipsed on the international stage.

However:

Russia possesses one-third of the world's natural gas, 7% of its oil, one-fifth of its precious metals, endless forest and farmland, ports on seven seas, the world's second-largest nuclear stockpile, and 140 million patient and educated citizens—all spread across eleven time zones. This means that no matter how stormy its progress, Russia will matter.

Comments

That is interesting. I never would have thought about Russia having billionaires at all. When I think of Russia. I think of the nutcracker and ballet dancers. another thing I think about those cool Faberge Eggs...But most of all I think of Russia and it's Vodka. It always concerned me that the Russian people had supposedly had such a high rate of alchohlism!...I use to always suspect that Brezhnev had large hang overs just by the look on his face!...He was really scary looking!